A Power Unto Itself

Here is John Ashcroft stonewalling Ted Kennedy in an investigation into torture by the Bush administration. The claim by Ashcroft is that the President is not subject to any laws, any international treaties, or any investigatory requests by Congress. In short, under Ashcroft's interpretation the President, once he decides that the country is "at war" is above the law. (Note: Congress is the only branch with the Constitutional right to declare war, it did not declare war, so Ashcroft is wrong to talk of "war".)

According to Ashcroft, once the President in his own mind decides the he is "leading the country in war", he can ignore all laws, all treaties, and all investigations by Congress. The President is a power unto himself. So says John Ashcroft...



By the way, this paragon of virtue, John Ashcroft, in his youth rose in defense of his country by volunteereing to stand aside and let others fight in Vietnam. Ashcroft knew he was meant for "greater things" so there was no reason to risk his skin for the country. No siree. He was going to be Attorney General one day and send others off to fight and die. That was his sacred mission:

During the Vietnam War, he received six student military draft deferments and one occupational deferment due to his teaching work, allowing him to avoid service in the war. (from Wikipedia)

I'm always amazed at those people who gather and wave flags feeling so proud of their patriotism. They are the ones that stand up for the Republican idiots who brought them a catastrophe of the "war of choice" in Iraq, a disaster of "downsized government" that failed to respond to Katrina, and a collapse in the economy by "financial deregulation" that promised a better business environment but brought instead trillions of debt that the taxpayer will have to pay to clean up the mess.

In this video you see Ashcroft dodging answers, failing to be forthright, failing to be honest. But this is the kind of guy that so-called "patriot" Americans stand behind four-square. A guy who wouldn't serve in Vietnam, who sends other people's kids to go die in an unnecessary war, and who served in an administration that pretty well destroyed the United States. What a sleazeball!